Electronic navigation devices employing GPS (global positioning system) receivers have become increasingly popular in recent years and the number of people using such devices is rapidly expanding. The utilization of GPS receiver devices in business and commercial applications continues to expand as does their use in recreational applications, such as pleasure trips. GPS units permit a user of the system to determine his or her position with respect to coordinates on the earth, such as longitude and latitude. Such navigation devices are extremely useful in assisting with the navigation vehicles of all types, including aircraft, marine craft, and land vehicles. Additionally, the devices are useful for tracking purposes, and hand held versions are popular with hikers and campers. Very generally, conventional electronic navigation devices employ a receiver that detects signals from a number of satellites orbiting the earth. The processor within the navigation device computes the location of the device, based upon data received from the received satellite signals, after a sufficient number of GPS satellite signals have been acquired. Particularly, once a sufficient number of GPS satellite signals are acquired, the device is able to calculate its position with respect to the various satellites, including longitude, latitude, and altitude. Thus, an electronic navigation device employing a GPS receiver has the ability to accurately compute the position of the device in real time, even as the device moves. Additionally, the device is able to calculate the velocity and direction in which the device is moving in three dimensions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,323,164 discloses a satellite radio wave capturing method for global positioning system receiver. U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,842 reveals a vehicle tracking system employing global position satellites. The teachings of both of these patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety with respect to the operation of GPS units.
Users of navigation equipment seek intuitive representations of navigation information which are direct and simple to interpret. The ability of a navigation device to present navigation information in a manner that is simple to interpret is particularly important to individuals who may be preoccupied with other concerns, such as navigating a land vehicle, boat or aircraft. Recreational users, such as tourists and sightseers, normally prefer to enjoy their surroundings rather than to spend significant time interpreting displayed navigation data.
Conventional navigational devices have electronic maps stored in memory. Particularly, data indicative of geography and thoroughfares are stored in memory. When such conventional navigation devices are used in combination with a vehicle such as an automobile, the navigation device calculates its location and provides an icon on the display screen, relative to the displayed electronic map, to indicate to the operator of the vehicle the position and movement of the vehicle relative to surrounding geography. Typically, the electronic maps are displayed two dimensionally, although the electronic map data may also be transformed to a perspective view.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,188,956 discloses an electronic navigation device and method for selectively displaying the names of thoroughfares on the display of a navigation device. The device includes a housing for a processor and a keypad input unit, a memory, a display having a display screen, and an antenna, all of which are connected to the processor. The navigation device is operable to acquire satellite signals from global positioning satellites and compute a geographic location of the device in a conventional manner. The navigation device and method of U.S. Pat. No. 6,188,956 is preferably incorporated in a unit to be mounted in a land vehicle, such as an automobile or truck. Cartographic data, including names of various geographical locations and, particularly, the names of thoroughfares, is stored in memory. In operation, the electronic navigation device of U.S. Pat. No. 6,188,956 is mounted in a land vehicle. As the vehicle is navigated along a thoroughfare, the navigation device calculates its position, direction of travel, and velocity. Electronic map data corresponding to the geographic area surrounding the vehicle is displayed on the display of the navigation device. Utilizing the electronic map data and the current position of the navigation device, the processor determines which thoroughfare is being navigated in a conventional manner.
Current vehicle navigation systems may include a variety of position determining devices, such as GPS receivers, accelerometers, gyros, speedometers, compasses, and the like in order to determine the position of the vehicle relative to a database of roads. As is well-known, a user selects a destination in the database of roads and the navigation system guides the user along the roads to the destination. The known navigation systems permit the user to select a destination by category, such as a city, an exit on an expressway, or a street address. A user can also conventionally select from a wide variety of “points of interest” including restaurants, shopping, attractions, lodging, airports, or hospitals. In many cases, subcategories are also provided. For instance, under the general category of “restaurants” the device can provide specific listings for American, Asian, Barbecue, Chinese, Deli/Bakery, International, Fast Food, Italian, Mexican, Pizza, Seafood, Steak, Bagel/Donut, French, German, and the like. For example, the user can select the category of “restaurants” at which point restaurants in a selected area or the closest restaurants will be displayed. Upon selection of the desired restaurant, the navigation system will guide the user via the roads in the database to the destination. Some current navigation systems guide the user to the destination via turn-by-turn instructions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,167 discloses a vehicle navigation system with location-based multimedia annotations (text, graphics and/or audio) in several different ways. In the system of U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,167, “ads” comprising location-based multimedia annotations are periodically presented. These ads are presented based upon the current location of the vehicle relative to a location with which the ad is associated. In some cases, the ads are displayed at power-up, independent of vehicle location. The user also has the ability to request additional information associated with the ad. The additional information may be stored on the database of the navigation system, read by a removable media reader connected to the navigation system or received via a wireless communication system on the vehicle. This additional information may include text, graphics, audio and/or multimedia presentations which relate to the ad selected by the user.
The navigation system of U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,167 further provides a removable media reader which reads information from a removable media and provides that information to the navigation system, which operates based upon that information. For example, the removable media may include pre-stored routes, destinations, and additional location-based multimedia annotations. The navigation system of U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,167 also provides a wireless communication system which provides the ads and the additional information to the navigation system and its user. The ads may be utilized to help defray the cost of the navigation system to the purchaser or user. The removable media may also include audio data, such as audible turn instructions in a language other than that previously stored on the navigation system. The removable media may also include a code or codes which enable the navigation system or at least some functions of the navigation system. The code may be time specific, such that it only enables the system for a predetermined time period, or it may be geographically specific, such that it enables the navigation system to access additional geographic areas in its database. Alternatively, the code may be entered via the user input device.
Tourists traveling by automobile currently have the option to listen to audio tapes giving a narrative description of points of interest as they travel along certain major highways. However, such tapes are only available for certain highways and are limited to travel in a particular direction. In practice, the user is typically instructed to manually turn the tape on at certain mile-markers along the highway and to turn it off after that segment of the narration is completed. This can lead to various problems, such as failure to turn the tape off after the narration for that particular portion of the highway has been completed or failure to turn the tape back on at the next specified mile-marker. Additionally, such audio tapes limit the traveler's freedom to deviate from the specific route covered by the tape.
It would be highly desirable for such a narrative system to automatically alert the traveler to points of interest as he freely travels without being bound to a specific tour route along a specific highway or path along various highways. In fact, in some cases it would be highly beneficial for a traveler or sightseer to have the freedom to leave highways and to travel on his or her own desired course. For instance, a tourist could find this to be extremely useful while sightseeing in a point of interest rich environment, such as a national park or major city with many attractions, such as Washington, D.C. or Boston, Mass.
Current audio tape travel information systems do not offer any flexibility with respect to the content of the narrative information provided. It would, however, be desirable to give the traveler the ability to assign preferences with respect to the nature and level of detail given in the narrative description with respect to specific points of interest. For instance, the traveler might have particular interests in certain types of points of interest, such as museums and desire a more detailed description with respect to that particular point of interest, and optionally directions to the point of interest.
With conventional passive systems, a traveler could miss a point of interest that is of a high level of personal interest to him or her simply because it was not on the predetermined tour route or because he or she was not prompted of the fact the point was within close proximity. For instance, the traveler could drive within a few short miles of a point of interest that he or she was extremely interested in without even being aware of that fact or having the option to be guided to it. Occasionally, travelers see things off in the distance of unknown identity, such as a distant mountain, a building, an island, a lake, or a monument, and wish to identify it. Conventional GPS systems do not provide such a feature.